Communal Harmony

To persist — after the third announcement of a formal rebuke in the
Community — in trying to form a schismatic group or in taking up a
position that can lead to schism is a saºghādisesa offense. (Sg 10)

To persist — after the third announcement of a formal rebuke in the
Community — in supporting a potential schismatic is a saºghādisesa
offense. (Sg 11)

To persist — after the third announcement of a formal rebuke in the
Community — in being difficult to admonish is a saºghādisesa offense. (Sg 12)

To persist — after the third announcement of a formal rebuke in the
Community — in criticizing a banishment transaction performed against
oneself is a saºghādisesa offense. (Sg 13)

When a trustworthy female lay follower accuses a bhikkhu of having
committed a pārājika, saºghādisesa, or pācittiya offense while sitting
alone with a woman in a private, secluded place, the Community should
investigate the charge and deal with the bhikkhu in accordance with
whatever he admits to having done. (Ay 1)

When a trustworthy female lay follower accuses a bhikkhu of having
committed a saºghādisesa or pācittiya offense while sitting alone with
a woman in an unsecluded but private place, the Community should
investigate the charge and deal with the bhikkhu in accordance with
whatever he admits to having done. (Ay 2)

Telling an unordained person of another bhikkhu’s serious offense —
unless one is authorized by the Community to do so — is a pācittiya
offense. (Pc 9)

Persistently replying evasively or keeping silent in order to
conceal one’s own offenses when being questioned in a meeting of the
Community — after a formal charge of evasive speech or being
frustrating has been brought against one — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 12)

If a Community official is innocent of bias: Criticizing him within earshot of another bhikkhu is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 13)

When one has set a bed, bench, mattress, or stool belonging to the
Community out in the open: Leaving its immediate vicinity without
putting it away, arranging to have it put away, or taking leave is a
pācittiya offense. (Pc 14)

When one has spread bedding out in a dwelling belonging to the
Community: Departing from the monastery without putting it away,
arranging to have it put away, or taking leave is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 15)

Intruding on another bhikkhu’s sleeping or sitting place in a
dwelling belonging to the Community, with the sole purpose of making
him uncomfortable and forcing him to leave, is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 16)

Causing a bhikkhu to be evicted from a dwelling belonging to the
Community — when one’s primary impulse is anger — is a pācittiya
offense. (Pc 17)

Sitting or lying down on a bed or bench with detachable legs on an
unplanked loft in a dwelling belonging to the Community, is a pācittiya
offense. (Pc 18)

Saying that a properly authorized bhikkhu exhorts the bhikkhunīs for
the sake of worldly gain — when in fact that is not the case — is a
pācittiya offense. (Pc 24)

Deliberately tricking another bhikkhu into breaking Pācittiya 35, in hopes of finding fault with him, is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 36)

Speaking or acting disrespectfully after having been admonished by
another bhikkhu for a breach of the training rules is a pācittiya
offense. (Pc 54)

Agitating to re-open an issue, knowing that it was properly dealt with, is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 63)

Not informing another bhikkhu of a serious offense that one knows a
third bhikkhu has committed — out of a desire to protect the third
bhikkhu either from having to undergo the penalty or from the jeering
remarks of other bhikkhus — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 64)

Acting as the preceptor in the full Acceptance (ordination) of a
person one knows to be less than 20 years old is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 65)

Refusing — after the third announcement of a formal rebuke in a
meeting of the Community — to relinquish the evil view that there is
nothing wrong in intentionally transgressing the Buddha’s ordinances is
a pācittiya offense. (Pc 68)

Communing, affiliating, or lying down under the same roof with a
bhikkhu who has been suspended and not been restored — knowing that
such is the case — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 69)

Befriending, receiving services from, communing, or lying down under
the same roof with an expelled novice — knowing that he has been
expelled — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 70)

When being admonished by another bhikkhu with regard to a training
rule formulated in the Vinaya, saying something as a ploy to excuse
oneself from training under the rule is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 71)

Criticizing the discipline in the presence of another bhikkhu, in hopes of preventing its study, is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 72)

Using half-truths to deceive others into believing that one is
ignorant of the rules in the Pāṭimokkha — after one has already heard
the Pāṭimokkha in full three times, and a transaction exposing one’s
deceit has been brought against one — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 73)

Giving a blow to another bhikkhu when impelled by anger — except in self-defense — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 74)

Making a threatening gesture against another bhikkhu when impelled by anger — except in self-defense — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 75)

Intentionally provoking anxiety in another bhikkhu that he may have
broken a rule, when one has no other purpose in mind, is a pācittiya
offense. (Pc 77)

Eavesdropping on bhikkhus involved in an argument over an issue —
with the intention of using what they say against them — is a pācittiya
offense. (Pc 78)

Complaining about a Community transaction to which one gave one’s
consent — if one perceives the transaction as having been carried out
in accordance with the rule — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 79)

Getting up and leaving a meeting of the Community in the midst of a
valid transaction that one knows to be valid — without having first
given one’s consent to the transaction and with the intention of
invalidating it — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 80)

After participating in a Community transaction giving robe-cloth to
a Community official: Complaining that the Community acted out of
favoritism is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 81)

When the Community is dealing formally with an issue, the full
Community must be present, as must all the individuals involved in the
issue; the proceedings must follow the patterns set out in the Dhamma
and Vinaya. (As 1)

If the Community unanimously believes that a bhikkhu is innocent of
a charge made against him, they may issue a transaction declaring him
innocent on the basis of his memory of the events. (As 2)

If the Community unanimously believes that a bhikkhu was insane
while committing offenses against the rules, they may issue a
transaction absolving him of any responsibility for the offenses. (As 3)

If a bhikkhu commits an offense, he should willingly undergo the
appropriate penalty in line with what he actually did and the actual
seriousness of the offense. (As 4)

If an important dispute cannot be settled by a unanimous decision,
it should be submitted to a vote. The opinion of the majority, if in
accord with the Dhamma and Vinaya, is then considered decisive. (As 5)

If a bhikkhu admits to an offense only after being interrogated in a
formal meeting, the Community should carry out a further-punishment
transaction against him, rescinding it only when he has mended his
ways. (As 6)

If, in the course of a dispute, both sides act in ways unworthy of
contemplatives, and the sorting out of the penalties would only prolong
the dispute, the Community as a whole may make a blanket confession of
its light offenses. (As 7)

The Etiquette of a Contemplative

Training a novice or lay person to recite passages of Dhamma by rote is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 4)

Lying down at the same time, in the same lodging, with a novice or
layman for more than three nights running is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 5)

Digging soil or commanding that it be dug is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 10)

Intentionally cutting, burning, or killing a living plant is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 11)

Handing food or medicine to a person ordained in another religion is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 41)

Sending another bhikkhu away so that he won’t witness any misconduct one is planning to indulge in is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 42)

To sit down intruding on a man and a woman in their private quarters
— when one or both are sexually aroused, and when another bhikkhu is
not present — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 43)

Watching a field army — or similar large military force — on active
duty, unless there is a suitable reason, is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 48)

Staying more than three consecutive nights with an army on active
duty — even when one has a suitable reason to be there — is a pācittiya
offense. (Pc 49)

Going to a battlefield, a roll call, an array of the troops in
battle formation, or to see a review of the battle units while one is
staying with an army is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 50)

Taking an intoxicant is a pācittiya offense regardless of whether one is aware that it is an intoxicant. (Pc 51)

Jumping and swimming in the water for fun is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 53)

Attempting to frighten another bhikkhu is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 55)

Lighting a fire to warm oneself — or having it lit — when one does
not need the warmth for one’s health is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 56)

Bathing more frequently than once a fortnight when residing in the
middle Ganges Valley, except on certain occasions, is a pācittiya
offense. (Pc 57)

Hiding another bhikkhu’s bowl, robe, sitting cloth, needle case, or
belt — or having it hidden — either as a joke or with the purpose of
annoying him, is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 60)

Traveling by arrangement with a group of thieves from one village to
another — knowing that they are thieves — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 66)

Entering a king’s sleeping chamber unannounced, when both the king and queen are in the chamber, is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 83)

Picking up a valuable, or having it picked up, with the intention of
putting it in safe keeping for the owner — except when one finds it in
a monastery or in a dwelling one is visiting — is a pācittiya offense. (Pc 84)

A bhikkhu should wear his upper and lower robes even all around. (Sk 1 & 2)

Etiquette in inhabited areas

When going or sitting in inhabited areas, a bhikkhu should:

wear his robes so that they hang down evenly, covering his chest, knees, wrists, and everything in between.

refrain from playing with his hands or feet.

keep his gaze lowered except when it is necessary to look up.

refrain from hitching up his robe so that it exposes the side of his body.

refrain from laughing loudly or speaking loudly.

refrain from swinging his body, arms or head.

refrain from putting his arms akimbo.

refrain from covering his head unless the weather is unbearably cold or hot.

refrain from walking on tiptoe or just on his heels.

refrain from sitting with his knees held up, either by hugging them or by surrounding them with a strip of cloth. (Sk 3-26)

Receiving and eating almsfood

When receiving alms, a bhikkhu should:

be mindful to receive them appreciatively.

focus his attention on the alms bowl.

take bean curry only in proper proportion to the rice.

accept no more food than will fill the bowl level to the bottom edge of the top rim. (Sk 27-30)

When eating, a bhikkhu should:

be mindful to eat his food appreciatively.

focus his attention on the bowl.

eat his food methodically, from one side of the bowl to the other.

eat bean curry only in proper proportion to the rice.

refrain from taking food from the middle of the heap in his bowl.

refrain from hiding his substantial food with rice, out of a hope of getting more.

refrain from looking at another bhikkhu’s bowl intent on finding fault with him for not sharing his food.

refrain from making extra-large mouthfuls.

eat his rice in rounded mouthfuls.

refrain from opening his mouth until he has brought food to it.

refrain from putting his whole hand in his mouth.

refrain from speaking when there is so much food in his mouth that it affects his pronunciation.

refrain from lifting a large handful of food from his bowl and breaking off mouthfuls with the other hand.

refrain from nibbling bit by bit at his mouthfuls of food.

refrain from stuffing out his cheeks.

refrain from shaking food off his hands or scattering rice about.

refrain from sticking out his tongue or smacking his lips.

refrain from making a slurping noise.

refrain from licking his hands, his bowl or his lips.

refrain from accepting a water vessel with a hand soiled by food.

refrain from throwing away — in an inhabited area — bowl-rinsing water that has grains of rice in it.(Sk 31-36, 38-56)

Teaching Dhamma

When his listener is not ill, a bhikkhu should not teach Dhamma if the listener:

has an umbrella in his/her hand.

has a staff in his/her hand.

has a knife in his/her hand.

has a weapon in his/her hand.

is wearing shoes, boots or sandals.

is sitting in a vehicle when the bhikkhu is in a lower vehicle or not in a vehicle at all.

is lying down when the bhikkhu is sitting or standing.

is sitting holding his/her knees.

is wearing a hat or a turban, or has covered his/her head with a scarf or shawl.

is sitting on a seat while the bhikkhu is sitting on the ground.

is sitting on a high seat while the bhikkhu is sitting on a lower seat.

is sitting while the bhikkhu is standing.

is walking ahead of the bhikkhu.

is walking on a path while the bhikkhu is walking beside the path. (Sk 57-72)

Urinating, defecating & spitting

Unless he is ill, a bhikkhu should not urinate or defecate while standing. (Sk 73)

Unless he is ill, a bhikkhu should not urinate, defecate or spit on
living crops or in water that is fit for bathing or drinking. (Sk 74-75)

Sutta PitakaIndex of Suttas

The suttas listed below are available here at Access to Insight. A handful of sutta-like passages from the Vinaya Pitaka are also listed here.

Sutta references
are either to sutta number (in the case of DN, MN, and Iti), samyutta
and sutta number (SN), nipata and sutta number (AN), verse number
(Dhp), vagga and sutta number (Ud, Sn), or vagga and poem number (Thag,
Thig). The translator’s name appears in the square brackets []. Suttas
marked with the »SuttaReadings.net icon (
) are regarded by senior Theravada Buddhist teachers as being
especially noteworthy. Click on the icon to visit SuttaReadings.net and
hear a teacher read it aloud.

The Vinaya Pitaka, the first division of the Tipitaka,
is the textual framework upon which the monastic community (Sangha) is
built. It includes not only the rules governing the life of every
Theravada bhikkhu (monk) and bhikkhuni (nun), but also a
host of procedures and conventions of etiquette that support harmonious
relations, both among the monastics themselves, and between the
monastics and their lay supporters, upon whom they depend for all their
material needs.

When the Buddha first established the Sangha, the community
initially lived in harmony without any codified rules of conduct. As
the Sangha gradually grew in number and evolved into a more complex
society, occasions inevitably arose when a member would act in an
unskillful way. Whenever one of these cases was brought to the Buddha’s
attention, he would lay down a rule establishing a suitable punishment
for the offense, as a deterrent to future misconduct. The Buddha’s
standard reprimand was itself a powerful corrective:

It is not fit, foolish man, it is not becoming, it is not proper, it
is unworthy of a recluse, it is not lawful, it ought not to be done.
How could you, foolish man, having gone forth under this Dhamma and
Discipline which are well-taught, [commit such and such offense]?… It
is not, foolish man, for the benefit of un-believers, nor for the
increase in the number of believers, but, foolish man, it is to the
detriment of both unbelievers and believers, and it causes wavering in
some.

— The Book of the Discipline, Part I, by I.B. Horner (London: Pali Text Society, 1982), pp. 36-37.

The monastic tradition and the rules upon which it is built are
sometimes naïvely criticized — particularly here in the West — as
irrelevant to the “modern” practice of Buddhism. Some see the Vinaya as
a throwback to an archaic patriarchy, based on a hodge-podge of ancient
rules and customs — quaint cultural relics that only obscure the
essence of “true” Buddhist practice. This misguided view overlooks one
crucial fact: it is thanks to the unbroken lineage of monastics who
have consistently upheld and protected the rules of the Vinaya for
almost 2,600 years that we find ourselves today with the luxury of
receiving the priceless teachings of Dhamma. Were it not for the
Vinaya, and for those who continue to keep it alive to this day, there
would be no Buddhism.

It helps to keep in mind that the name the Buddha gave to the spiritual path he taught was “Dhamma-vinaya” — the Doctrine (Dhamma) and Discipline (Vinaya)
— suggesting an integrated body of wisdom and ethical training. The
Vinaya is thus an indispensable facet and foundation of all the
Buddha’s teachings, inseparable from the Dhamma, and worthy of study by
all followers — lay and ordained, alike. Lay practitioners will find in
the Vinaya Pitaka many valuable lessons concerning human nature,
guidance on how to establish and maintain a harmonious community or
organization, and many profound teachings of the Dhamma itself. But its
greatest value, perhaps, lies in its power to inspire the layperson to
consider the extraordinary possibilities presented by a life of true
renunciation, a life lived fully in tune with the Dhamma.

A. Mahavagga
— in addition to rules of conduct and etiquette for the Sangha, this
section contains several important sutta-like texts, including an
account of the period immediately following the Buddha’s Awakening, his
first sermons to the group of five monks, and stories of how some of
his great disciples joined the Sangha and themselves attained Awakening.

B. Cullavagga
— an elaboration of the bhikkhus’ etiquette and duties, as well as the
rules and procedures for addressing offences that may be committed
within the Sangha.

III. Parivara — A
recapitulation of the previous sections, with summaries of the rules
classified and re-classified in various ways for instructional purposes.

Suttavibhanga

(selected texts)

The Suttavibhanga contains the basic training rules for bhikkhus and
bhikkhunis, along with the “origin story” for each one. These rules are
summarized in the Patimokkha, and amount to 227 rules for the bhikkhus, 311 for the bhikkhunis. The Patimokkkha rules are grouped as follows:

Summaries and anthologies based on the Suttavibhanga:

The
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Monday launched its three-month
long “Janhit Chetna” campaign across the nation.

Though
the campaign is a prelude to the Lok Sabha elections, it will
also set the tone for the Assembly elections to various states, due in
the coming months. During this campaign, BSP cadres highlighted the
achievements of the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh and popularised
the success of the social engineering formula that catapulted the BSP
to a majority in the UP Assembly elections.

The
campaign has been designed to corner the UPA government on
issues of price rise and unemployment. It also explained to voters
why the BSP withdrew support from the UPA government on the issue of
nuclear deal.

“The
campaign was two-pronged. On one hand, the success of social engineering
and underline the party’s new ideology of Sarvjan Hitaye, Sarvjan Sukhaye among
the people was highlighted and made an effort to bring all caste group on one
platform. On the other hand,They planed to highlight the governance of the
Mayawati government across the country and contrast it with the lack of
governance in non-BSP-ruled states and also the UPA government,” .

Issues
those were specific to particular states was included in the campaign, after
clearance from the party high command.

In
the first phase of the “Janhit Chetna” campaign that was be held from September
1 to October 31, the BSP organised dharnas and
demonstrations at all district headquarters.

“They
were held on different dates and senior leaders and ministers participated in
them,” .

In
the second phase that will be held from November 1 to December 31, the party
will organise similar demonstrations in all Vidhan Sabha segments.

The
idea is to ensure that all districts and all Assembly segments
are covered during the campaign. In the final phase, demonstrations on
larger scales will be held at all state capitals and Ms Mayawati is
expected to address most of the meetings in this phase.

During
the campaign, the BSP will “inform” its voters how theCongress has been misusing its power at the
Centre to influence the CBI and harass the UP chief minister.

“This
is a clear attempt to check the growth of BSP and prevent Ms
Mayawati from becoming the Prime Minister after the Lok Sabha
elections. The BJP is hand in glove with the Congress on this issue but
we will expose their conspiracy before the public,” .

Booklets
listing the achievements of the Mayawati government will be distributed during
the three-month long campaign.

Karnataka is described as the
lofty land. The long coastline hedged by miles and miles of tall,
waving, palm groves adds to the natural beauty of the place. It has an
area of 74051sq mi.The capital of Karnataka is Banglore which, is
undoubtedly the trump card of Karnataka. Bangalore
is known by many names as the Garden City of India, India`s Manhattan
and Silicon Valley. It is one of the most industrialized cities of the
country; its pleasant climate makes it the seat of much commercial and
cultural enterprise. The important tourist sites are Garden city
Bangalore, Jog Falls, the beaches of Karwar and Malpe, Golgumbuz in Bijapur, the stone temples of Belur and Halebid, Mysore Palace,
the list is endless.Karnataka is on of the enchanting destinations that
enthrall you. It seems that nature has endowed all her beauty to this
state. Karnataka is actually the key to discover the enthralling beauty

of nature.

Origin of name of Karnataka

The name Karnataka comes from the Kannada
words karu and nadu meaning elevated land. Karu nadu can also be read
as Karu which means black and nadu which means region, may be with
referance to the black cotton soil found in the Bayaluseemae region of
Karnataka. During the time of British rule, the words Carnatic or
Karnatak were used to describe this part of the region in general.
Karnataka got its name in 1973.

Karnataka has been ruled successively by the Buddhist, Hindu and Muslin
dynasties. Jainism too established its roots here. During the first
millennium AD, the whole of Karnataka was dominated by power struggles
between the various kingdoms that controlled Western Deccan. In the
Medival era, the Muslim invasions from the North forced the fractured
states of the south into close alliance with the Vijanagars who emerged
as the landlords. In 1761, the Muslim campaigner Halider Ali with
french support seized the throne. His son Tipu Sultan turned Mysore
into a major force in the south before he was killed by the British in
1799 at the battle of Srirangapatanam. In 1830 the British appointed a
Commission to rule in their place. Routed in the nineties. After which
the state was ruled successively by the Janata Dal, BJP and Congress
Governments.

Karnataka is situated on the western edge of the Deccan plateau and is surrounded on the North by Maharashtra and Goa, on the East by Andhra Pradesh, on the South by Tamil Nadu and Kerala
and on the West, it opens out on the Arabian Sea. Karnataka occupies
three natural regions like the Coastal strip, the Sahyadris and the
Deccan plateau. Karnataka lies between 74o and 78o East longitudes and
11o and 18o North latitudes.The state has three physical zones.The
elevation of Karnataka is 1,500 feet. The highest temperature recorded
here was 45.6 C (114.08 F) and the lowest recorded temperature was 2.8
C (37.04 F). Karnataka receives an average annual rainfall of 1139 mm.
The highest point in Karnataka is the the top of the hill
Mullayanagiri, which has an altitude of 1929 mts above sea level.

Economy of Karnataka

Karnataka
has become one of the leading industrial states in the field of
industrial development. It has established its roots both in the
private and public sectors and in the area of computer software. As a
result national and international firms are attracted to the city of
Banglore. Karnataka is host to headquarters of several IT companies
including Infosys, which was rated “Best Employer in India” by Business
Today in 2001, and in 2002 as “India`s Most Respected Company”. The IT
industry is spreading to other major centres in Karnataka, namely:
Mysore, Mangalore and Hubli. There are the presence of a number of
traditional cottage and small industries like handlooms, silk weaving
etc. Karnataka is the leading state for silk rearing and production of
Khadi and village industries. There are numerous factories in
engineering, chemicals, electrical, and electronic goods. There are
also industries for processing of plantation products like tea, coffee,
rubber, cashew etc.

About 71% of the people are engaged in agricullture.The main crops
are rice, ragi, jowar, maize, and pulses besides oilseeds and number of
cash crops. The principal crop grown here is coffee. Cashew, coconut, arecanut, cardamom, chilies, cotton, sugarcane and tobacco are among the other crops.

Government and politics of Karnataka

Governor is the constitutional head of the Karnataka and is appointed for a period of five years. He appoints the Chief Minister.
The governor is only the ceremonial head of the state. The day to day
running if the government is taken care of by the Chief Minister and
his council of ministers. The State legislature consists of the
Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Commissioner of
Police is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and
order in the state. Sectoral development is looked after by the
district head of each development department such as PWD, Health,
Education, Agriculture, Animal husbandry, etc

At the national level, Karnataka consists of 28 parliamentary
constituencies from which 28 members of parliament get elected to the
Lok Sabha. Karnataka is dominated by three major parties. They are Indian National Congress , Janata Dal (Secular) , Bharatiya Janata Party , etc.

Transport of Karnataka

The major means of transportation here are busses, cars, trains,
motorbikes, cars, autorickshaws. With the emergence of low cost air
lines, people chose to travel by air as well.

There are 3973 km of National Highways in Karnataka. The public bus
transport in Karnataak is managed by KSRTC(Karnataka State Road
Transport Corporation). For efficient managment KSRTC was bifurcated
into three Corporations viz.

Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation

North-west Karnataka Road Transport Corporation

North-East Karnataka Road Transport Corporation

KSRTC plies various categories of busses as Volvo , deluxe buses,
Semi-deluxe and normal buses. To provide transportation facilities to
the rural people KSRTC provides the bus service as the Grameena Sarige.

The railway network of Karnataka comes under the Southern and Western
railway zones which were headquartered at Madras and Bombay. The
railway network has a length of 3089 km. Coastal Karnataka is covered
under the Konkan railway network.

The one important port of Karantaka is the New Mangalore Port.
There are ten other ports at Karwar, Belekeri, Tadri, Honnavar,
Bhatkal, Kundapur, Hangarkatta, Malpe, Padubidri and Old Mangalore.

The airports of Karnataka are located at Bengaluru, Mangaluru,
Hubballi, Belagavi, Hampi and Mysore. Only from Mysore and Banglore
international flights operate. Some of the airlines that operate from
here are Lufthansa, British Airways, Singapore Airlines and Malaysian
Airlines. With Bangalore being the `IT capital` of India, the air
traffic to this city has increased manifold and to cope up with the
problem of traffic a new airpor, Bangalore International Airport is
being constructed at Devanahalli. The airport will be ready only by
April 2008.

The state of Karnataka comprises of 27 districts that are grouped into four divisions.
The four divisions are Bangalore division, Belgaum Division, Gulbarga Division and Mysore Division.

Demography of Karnataka

As per the 2001 census, the total population of the state amounts to
52,850,562. Out of which the males constitute to about 26,898,918 and
females to about 25,951,644. The literacy of the state is 55.98%.
Population density is 275.6 per km sq. The sex ratio is 964 females to
1000 males. The literacy rate is 66.6% with 76% of literate males and
57% of literate females. Karnataka occupies Ninth place with regard to
population and the density of population. There are people belonging to
different religions as Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Jains and
Buddhists. The majority of the populations are Hindus. About 83.8% of
the population are Hindus, 12.23% are Muslim, 1.91% are Christians,
0.78% are Jains, 0.73% are Buddhist and the remaining belong to other
religions. The official language of the people of Karnataka is Kannada.
The other languages spoken here are Urdu, Telegu, Marathi, Tamil, Malayalam, Tulu, Konkani and Hindi. The majority of the people speak in Kannada.

Karnataka is a treasure island of ritualistic dances. The dances are
denoted by the generic term Kunitha. The major art forms are Dollu
Kunitha, Puja kunitha, Pata Kunitha, Gorava Kunitha, Kamsale, Devare
Thatte Kunitha, Yellammana Kunitha, Suggi Kunitha. Other than these
dances, Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi and Kathak are well known classical
dances. The music of Karnataka flourished under the royal patronage of
the Vijayanagar Empire and the Wadayars. The Hindustani music and
Caranatic music are the popular music genres of Karnataka. Yakshagana
is an elaborate dance-drama performance unique to Karnataka. Major
festivals of Karnataka are Dussehra ,Hampi Festival, Tula Sankramana,
Vairamudi Festival, Kambala or buffalo racing, Sri Vithappa fair, Sri
Shidlingappa`s fair etc.

Having a varied landscape, the state is quite rich in flora and
fauna. The Sahyadris in the state of Karnataka are the most important
area as far as the flora of state is concerned. Some of the highlights
of the vegetation of this state are the white Mallika, the golden
Champaka, the red rose, and the purple Padari. Apart from these, there
are trees of Mangoes, Teak and Sandalwood found on the eastern slope.

Education in Karnataka

Karnataka has the highest number of educational institutions in the fields of engineering and medical sciences.

The major educational institutions are:

Indian Institute of Science(Bangalore)

Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

Some of the institutions that are involved in undergraduate engineering education are

Of the 19 channels run by Doordarshan, DD9 is an exclusive Kannada
channel. Other private channels are TV 9 - Karnataka, Zee Kannada,
Udaya, ETV Kannada, etc. The major newspapers of Kannada are Prajavani,
Udayavani, Vijaya Karnataka, and Kannada Prabha. The major English
newspapers are the Deccan Herald, Times of India, The Hindu and the
Indian Express.

The radio networks of the state are All India Radio, Radio City Radio Mirchi, Radio Indigo, Radio One etc

The major sports of the people of Karnataka are Parasailing, Water
sports, trekking scuba diving, coracling, surfing, canoeing, kayaking
or windsurfing etc. Parasailing is one of the thrilling aero sport
activities.

Supreme Court bench declines to hear Uttar Pradesh plea

New
Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) The Supreme Court Wednesday declined to hear a
petition by the Uttar Pradesh government seeking the transfer to the
apex court of cases pending before the Allahabad High Court challenging
its notification to demolish government buildings to set up memorials
to the late Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) founder Kashi Ram.

A bench of Justice Altamas Kabir and Justice Markandey Katju referred the matter to another bench.

It was hearing the petition seeking the transfer of 10 writ
petitions challenging the state government’s action before the high
court.

During the hearing, Katju said the court was politically neutral and
was not influenced by any of the political parties - be it Uttar
Pradesh’s ruling BSP, the Congress or the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He asked senior counsel Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the
petitioner, Gomti Nagar Jan Kalyan Maha Samiti, to spell out which
statute was being violated by the action of the Uttar Pradesh
government.

He said the court could intervene only if there was any violation of
law and added that a popularly elected government was entitled to
undertake any construction activity within the law. ‘If you feel
aggrieved by its actions, then vote it out,’ he said.

The petitioner said there could not be any objection if the
demolition of the government structures were meant to create public
utilities. But razing government buildings and encroaching on public
parks for building memorials to the late BSP leader, and that too at
colossal expenditure from the exchequer, could not be described as an
act of public utility, the petitioner argued.